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Sunday, July 26, 2009

PENANG - OTHER THAN HAWKER FOOD

IKAN BAKARAdnan Bin JassanIkan Bakar & Nasi LemakKampong Telok Tempoyak, Jalan Telok Tempoyak, Penang.A no frills and down-to-earth but excellent place for ikan bakar. It is nestled in the quiet fishing village of Kampong Teluk Tempoyak which is a short distance from Bayan Baru.

The fish here is marinated with delicious home-made spices, wrapped in leaves and then grilled over charcoal fire. You are invited to select the type and size of fish, kept alive in the plastic containers in front of the shop, for grilling. The choice of fishes are limited and is dependant on their supply for the day. On any given day, the typical fishes available are Siakap, Ikan Merah and Garoupa. Flower crabs (Ketam Bunga) and Prawns are also available.

I highly recommend trying the Siakap. While dining, you can also observe a continuous supply of live fish being brought to their stall. Due to the freshness, the meat is extremely succulent. The standard sauce dips are provided for those who require an extra "kick". This stall also sells nasi lemak which goes well with the ikan bakar. Calamari (deep fried sotong) which is available from a separate stall is also recommended. All these food goes down well with the large jugs of coconut juice or lime juice (with assam boi) that is available from the drinks stall.

Slightly pricey but worth your every single cent. Highly recommended if you are looking for a great seafood place in Penang, dining beside the sea with the breeze in your face. One of the best if not THE BEST, ikan bakar stall in the country!

SEAFOODKedai Makanan Teik SengLebuh Carnarvon, Penang.Until a good friend recommended Teik Seng more than 12 years ago, I must admit that I wasn't aware that Penang has several seafood and meat dishes they can claim as truly their own.Local favourites that I was introduced to then that remained my personal Northern favourites include Fried Roast Pork, Fried Baby La-La in Bean Paste, Assam Prawns and Belacan Fried Chicken.When I recently returned to this eatery, I was delighted that their food is still par excellence although their prices have gone up somewhat.If you have problems locating this place amongst the many one-way streets, just ask any Penangite about the restaurant with the chef who dons his trademark very tall toque blanche, and they should be able to give you ample directions to get here.

SEAFOODRestoran Makanan Laut Bagan Prawn Village672, Bagan Bukit Tambun,14100 Simpang Ampat, Penang.Bagan Prawn Village is a seafood restaurant located on the mainland with a breath-taking view of the Jawi River.

I find the prices of seafood here much cheaper compared to their island counterparts.

The first people who greet you when you arrive, are the jaga kereta "boys and girls" - who are really residents living across the road, that demand RM2 for parking on "their land".

Then as you enter the restaurant, you will walk pass an assortment of live seafood. Meeting and greeting you here will be their captain, who will gladly give you a tour of the tanks while taking your order at the same time.

If you do dine here, try not to miss their live fishes and prawns, steamed and boiled respectively of course, to retain their natural sweetness. Another must try is their large mantis prawns which I favour (over prawns) for their sweeter and more succulent meat.

SEAFOODHai Boey Seafood29, MK 9, Pasir Belanda,Teluk Kumbar, Bayan Lepas,Penang.As their name suggests, Hai Boey is located at the southern tip of the island and faces the Straits of Malacca.

Despite being a distance away from Georgetown (45 minutes drive), this place is packed during the weekends. This is one of the rare restaurants I have come across that people actually form a line to pay for their meal!

Ask any captain that takes your order, and they will readily recommend a few of their house specialities.

They include a rather interesting Japanese style Fried Brinjal, Sour & Spicy Clams Soup, Steamed Tofu with Cendol and Chikong Pork Ribs, besides an array of seafood fare.

DIM SUMKedai Makanan Yee Heong
Lebuh Campbell, Penang.
Located towards the end of Lebuh Campbell, Yee Heong serves reasonably good and cheap dim sum.Not surprising that this unassuming place can be rather crowded in the mornings as many of their dim sum still cost less than RM2 per plate.

I find their variety of dumplings rather good. Their loh mai kai is worth a shout too!